Self-ejecting electric plug



Oct. 9, 1951 MAISEY 2,571,046

SELF-EJECTING ELECTRIC PLUG Filed NOV. 21, 1949 IYi lb 8e 8b 8 80 L M i 5c 3n 5f If le 40 E E 2c 2 5e v 20 1 "ENTOR. JOHN J. I55) AGENT Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNI-T ED STAT e s rates-r [CE 2,571,0 e sane-erasure uncr ti a meter, h i X ..Q li-, Anpfigaetim Nwgmbtr 21, 19.49; s'crialrN'o. 128,609:

3 'Clain1s. 1',

My nv nti n rela s to a s f-e ect n ele tri plu ,,and more particularly. to an improvement over my pending application, S rial- No- 10933 filed August% lQiLnowabandoned, and the iectsei. my; inventicn are;

First, to provide a self-ejecting, electric plug of this la s h ving improv d ect r l chmean which is very readily andseasilyreleased whena relatively small m unt. of pressu is applied thereto;

Second, to provide a selfeejectingelectria plug of: this class which: isvery positivein operation and easy to manipula te;

Third, to provide a. self ejecting. electric plug of this class inwhichall of the, parts, mar, he

readily cast of plastic or the likaior facilitating production thereof;

Fourth, to provide a self-ejecting electric plug of i cl s which is v ry-ne tand compa F f to Pro de as of this class whi h-- is erv imple? assemble; and

Sixth, to provide a selfsejecting electric, plug of this class which, is very. simple. and econom'ltal of construction, efficient will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other je ts in .i$W,;& iWi11 p a r inafter, my inr ntioni hsis soi certain. nov l f a ures f: co struct o combination and arrang m nt of a parts: and; por i na. as. wil be hereinafter described. indetail andparticu: larly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, forming a nartof thisapplicati n. nwhich;

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional, view of my self-ejecting electric plug showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, takenrrom theline .?-:2 of;- i r. 1:.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The frame I, end plate 2, conductor prongs 3 and 4, ejectro 5, springs 6 and I, plunger 8, and the conductors 9 and I0, constitute the principal parts and portions of my self-ejecting electric plug.

The frame I, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is a substantially cup-shaped member, having a partially enclosed end portion Ia, provided with a bore lb therein, in which the plunger 8 is reciprocally mounted. Communicating directly with the bore lb is an enlarged bore portion Ic, having a latch ledge Id at the inner terminus and. easy to i ctine. electric plug n-- op rat n. and h h i there ch; r iects. inwardly qt he tone. e di ubs ntia ly. sma l n. ieme erthan aid b e- 0.- h s a iil e t hepertien fis aslapt d to e, n a d y he s ment la ch fineersfi ofthe ejector 5. The-ejeetor dis. reciprocally m nt d n a c tra he e herion a of th end plate wh s posi i n d-men a n l r-recess Ie-in the opposite end of the frame-l from the partially enclosed; portion la, and abuts; the shoulder If at, the inner terminusof the. recess le, all as shown bestinFig; l; or the. drawings.

The plate 2: is providedwith; a r Q. op 11 c. atoppo teisides Q t he-hore 2a, through which; the conductor prongs} and 4!, r sp t v l d; hese --e i lue r-, rongs .3 and Q are fixed-to screws 30; and. la, respectively, which are-screw threaded in the endplate 2, allgas-shown be t 1 g. 1 of-the draw ngs- AsthQ -nin F 2- of t d n he eentlue errp n Sand re ov ded w th s cond t ito al. rews. 3.11a t w h eie hdi ors fi nd: l espective y. a con ec d. Theejectort is a cu -shaped member. in a c lindr cal-body port on .1 integral with which, are-segmental resilient fingers 5a, having-buttress, latch portions 50 pro,- jecting laterally therefrom, The-ends of these buttress latch portions 50 are provided with beveled portionsfid, adapted, to engage thei-nward b v l the wa dly roje a ch po t n Id of the frame I, as hereinbefore described At the transition of, the body 5b and. segmental-fingers 5c is a s ulder hortien e, which abut the inner side of the plate 2,: for resisting. the comp ssi f ashring 6. w i h: ends to fier e the ejector 5 outwardly of the. end plate. 2.

It wi11 be' netedr that h -seementalfineer 5a are: separated by slot 5], providing. for there.- s i nt deflection of the fin ers: fiae nward y an outw yt ei en a em nt. and r as l ro the latch ledge portion id hereinbefore described. The ejector 5 is provided with an internal bore 5h, in which the shank 8a of the plunger 8 is reciprocally slidably mounted. This shank 8a of the plunger 8 is hollow and contains the spring 6, which is abutted at its one end at the end portion 5:! of the ejector 5, and at its opposite end in the head portion 82; of the plunger 8, all as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Integral with the head portion 81) of the plunger 8 is an enlarged diameter skirt portion 80, having an internal outwardly and angularly directed bevel portion 8d, adapted to engage the bevel portions 501 of the segmental fingers 5a. The spring 1 is abutted at its one end on the h end ate thy-means of abrupt transition between the bore portion Ib :and I of the frame I, and is abutted at its oppo- :site end on the transition shelf between the head portion 8b of the plunger 8 and the skirt 80 thereof. The spring 1 tends to force the plunger l toward the ejector and exerts slight pressure substantially less than required to release the ejector 5 from the annular latch ledge Id.

The operation of my self-ejecting electric plug :is substantially as follows: When the conductor prongs 3 and 4 are inserted in a conventional female electrical outlet plug, the ejector 5 engages the conventional face plate of the female plug and is forced inwardly of the frame I, telescopically over the shank 8a of the plunger 8, and the inclined portions 511 of the segmental fingers 5a are engaged with the beveled portion of the annular latch ledge Id and caused to deflect inwardly until they pass the latch ledge Id, whereupon they expand, and the buttress latch portions 50 engage the latch ledge Id at its upper side, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the ejector 5 is forced inwardly until the buttress portions 50 engage the latch ledge Id, the spring 6 is considerably compressed and tends to force the ejector 5 outwardly of the end plate 2, into the position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When it is desired to release my self-ejecting electric plug from the female outlet plug, slight pressure is exerted on the face 8e of the plunger 8, which causes the inclined portions 8d to engage the inclined portions 5d of the segmental fingers 5a, tending to compress them inwardly, which releases the buttress latch portions 50 from the annular latch ledge Id, permitting the spring 6 to force the plunger 8 outwardly in engagement with the face plate of the conventional female plug, which ejects the frame I, together with end plate 2 and the conductor prongs 3 and 4, wherely axial removal of the conductor prongs 3 and 4 is automatically accomplished, preventing twisting and bending thereof, and the exertion of considerable effort in the removal of the plug from the conventional female outlet plug. In operation, the spring I merely maintains the plunger 8 at its inclined portions Rd in engagement with the inclined portions 5d of the segmental fingers 5a, so that slight pressure on the face 8e of the plunger 8 causes instant release of the ejector 5, so that it may quickly and easily release said ejector 5.

Though I have shown and described a particu lar construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I CII 4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a self-ejecting electric plug, a frame, a plunger in said frame having a portion thereof projecting from one end of the frame, an ejector reciprocally mounted in said frame in opposed relationship to said plunger, a spring tending to force said plunger and said ejector away from each other, whereby said spring tends to force said ejector outwardly of said frame, a pair of conductor prongs parallel with said ejector and substantially coextensive therewith when extended, said frame having an inwardly projecting latch ledge, said ejector having a plurality of resilient segmental fingers provided with buttress latch portions, adapted to engage said inwardly disposed ledge of said frame and means for releasing said segmental fingers from said ledge.

2. In a self-ejecting electric plug, a frame, a plunger in said frame having a portion thereof projecting from one end of the frame, an ejector reciprocally mounted in said frame in opposed relationship to said plunger, a spring tending to force said plunger and said ejector away from each other, whereby said spring tends to force said ejector outwardly of said frame, a pair of conductor prongs parallel with said ejector and substantially coextensive therewith when extended, said frame having an inwardly projecting latch ledge, said ejector having a plurality of resilient segmental fingers provided with buttress latch portions, adapted to engage said inwardly disposed ledge of said frame, said plunger having an annular beveled portion adapted to engage said buttress latch portions of said segmental fingers for forcing the same inwardly, and releasing the same from said inwardly disposed latch ledge of said frame.

3. In a self-ejecting electric plug, a frame, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said frame and having one end thereof projecting outwardly of said frame, an ejector reciprocally mounted in the opposite end of said frame axially aligned with said plunger, a spring interposed between said plunger and said ejector, said frame provided with an inwardly projecting latch portion, said ejector provided with resilient finger means engageable with said latch portion of said frame, said plunger provided with angular cam means for releasing said resilient fingers from said latch shelf portion of said frame.

JOHN J. MAISEY.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Weiner et a1. Dec. 14, 1948 Number 

